Window construction



Y .zo mi l @111946. LLLLLLL Moes "2,395,013V

WINDOW CONSTRUGION 1943 3 Sheets-sheet 1 uwwwwwww @y u *M umm Feb. 1,9, 1946. v scHlEPMoEs 2,395,073

wINDow CONSTRUCTION Filed June 18,'1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Feb. 19, 1946. v Lscl-IEPMES A I I '2,395,073

WINDOW CONSTRUCTION Filed June 18, 1943 5 sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 19, 1946 f Lindsley Schepmoes, llilew Haven, Conn., assigner to .Thek Safety Car H l Claims.

This invention relates to window constructions and the like and, with regard to itsk more specific features, to constructions which combine a practical indirect lighting system With a Window of more or less conventional appearance.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus lof the character described having to a notable extent the characteristics and capabilities set forth. Another object is the provision of, a window constructionrwhereby the eating and LightingComf l pany,'Inc,-,a corporation of Delaware Arplieatongiune 13, 194.3,seria1No- '491,423

interior of a room or compartment may be illuminated at night in a manner approximating the illumination afforded'by the window during Vthe day. Anadditional object is the provision of a double window shade having two distinct portions, one for Vuse during the'day to control the natural light admitted and the other for use at night to serve as a source of indirect illumination. A further object is the provision of a window construction whereby thewindow serves to give light to a room by day or by nightQ` Other objects`r will be in part obvious and in part pointed outr hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts as will be exempliiied in the structure to be hereinafterrdescribed, and the scope of the application'of which will be set forth in the accompanying claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments .for achieving the above objectives are set forth and in which similar reference characters refer to corresponding parts: Figure 1 is an elevational view of a window unit embodying the invention asI it appears at night while serving as a source of indirect illumination; i

' Figure 2 isan elevational View of the window unit shown in Figure 1 but presenting its appearance by day when daylight is entering from the outside; Y

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, with parts broken away, taken along the line 3--3 of Figure l in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary .sectional view taken along the irregular line 4--4 of Figure 3;

:Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4; l

`Figure 6 is a sectional view taken-along the line 6-6 of Figure l; and

VFigure 7 is a View similar to that of Figure Y6 but presenting a modication of the invention.

passenger railway car. Heretofore a` variety of constructions have been attempted with varying success. vvAny enclosure'which is decorated with an eye Y to its 'appearance' under natural illumination from outside through windows loses some of VVitsy attractiveness when lighted by means of scattered light sources therein, andV this is especially true of the many relatively small rooms and compartments found on a railway car, Thus, the general illumination which comes in naturally "'by day is not adequately approximated atnight by several Wall and overhead iixtures which the spaceconsiderations have necessitated.

The present rinvention is particularly Wellsuite'dto lighting wherever space is at a premium because it provides for theuse of space-saving flourescent tubing Ain a novel light-distributing combination so that the advantages of the tubes maybe fully realized, and at the Sametime their lightmay be used indirectly-to approximate a VLnatural illumination retaining the relative decorative values of lights and shadows at all times.

.Withfrefverence to Figure 1, a unitary frame for one window, generally indicated at 20, is illustrated consisting of a headr 22, -jambs 24, a mullion'26, anda rsill 28 (see also Figure`2) Across the top of the'frame in brackets`33 are. mounted a roller 3U and an idler 32 for supporting a double-window shadef This double shade consists of anight portion 34 shown covering the window openings in. Il'iguref 1 and illustratively carrying a mountain lake scene, and a day portion-36 shown in part in Figure 2 and carrying, as shown, vertical stripes. The Vbottom edge of night portion A34 vis reinforced with a shade binding 38, Whereas the bottom edge of day portion 36 is reinforced'with a shade binding 40.

f With reference to Figure 3, rollers and 32 are shown'in cross section supported by bracket 33 at they uppermost part of the' gure, and'day portion 36 of the double shade is shown extendingfupwardly fromv binding`40, behind idler 32, over rollers .30 and then downwardly to meet night portion 34, which latter portion extends -t'othe bottom of the window opening. Day portion 36 vis'seen to be continuous with night portion 34; and when night portion 34 is raised, day portion 36 comesintc'sight below theedge of .head 22 so that the day portion may be adjusted to v regulate the amount of light admitted kthrough The drawings illustrate by `way of example satisfactory forms that the invention mayA take for application in the windowconstructionof a the window.`

The shade is held taut in whatever position vit is adjusted by means of anrk endless tape-like portion on each side of the shade (see Figures 3 and 4). downwardly from binding 40 to a point near the bottom of the window, passes around a tapetensioning roll 42, and then extends upwardly to binding 38 and along the side edge of the shade. In the embodiment illustrated the tapelike portions are yformed as an integral part with the rest oi the double shade but obviously they might be formed, in whole or in part, by the additionof separate tapes.

Each tension r'oll 42 (see Figure 4) is carried by a U-'shaped yoke 44. Yoke 44 is slidable in supports 46 and 41 provided, respectively withV yoke guideways 423 and 4 9.l The two arms of the yoke carry nubs 5 0 and 5| which may be'caused to engage with selected openings 48a and 49a in" g'uideways 48 and 4 9 so that the position of the tapeetensioning roll can be adjusted vertically to give the proper tension in the tape-like por; Y

portion oi its surface to be luminescently treated to increase the reflecting characteristic of the shade. For artificial illumination y'fluorescent tubes 6D, 62, 64, and 66 preferably of the hot cath-` odeftype are supported in conventional manner within the jambs, mullion, and ,head of the wine dow unit as best Shownin Eiguresl and 3. f Y

In order to increase the illumination Vfrom the.

tubes, the frame is ttedwith reflectors (see Figure 3) as will now be'described. Head 22, has" bolted to it an upper reflector 18 adiacentltube 66. Reflector 1B carries bosses 19 which serveV as an abutment for the upper edge of a snapped-inV reflector 18; the loweredge .ofreector is.y provided wth'a turned-up edge 18d to fit overthe flanged edge 22a of head `22. vA side reector,

10 (Figure 5) is bolted to j amb 24 adjacent ,tubes 60 and 64 and a snapped-in reflector12 is shaped as'shown so that one longitudinal edge 12a ts against bosses13 formed on reflector 18 while the other longitudinal edge 12b is turned over to t upon the anged edge 24b vof the jamb. A re ector 14, shown in Figure 6, has two turned over edges 14a and 14b snapped over the inturned flanged' portions 26a and 2Gb of million 26. Thus the principal reflecting surfaces for thetubes 60,y 62, 64 and 66 comprise the reflectors 18, 14, and 12, which may be readily snapped into position or removed for' cleaning or otherpurposes and yet are held securely in position whene'ssembled.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure?, a' reiiector 80 `has anged edge portionsllaand 80h bolted ,to corresponding portions of 'mullion lil.y Lenses 82 are supported on each side. of the tube B3 as by screws84and185; these lenses Yare designed to diffuse ,the light from. thegtube 82 evenly to, afford 1 a ,more uniform illumination. It will `be apparent` that similar'lensesmayfbe used with other'lighting tubes Iof lthe structure shown'if desired. .v Asshown in the lower portion of AFigure -3, a space 8 1 islprovided in silli 28 beneath sill plate 28e-This space'maybe used .as a housing for the ballast tubes in the circuitsv of the hot cathode fluorescent lighting xtures and such other elec- Each tape-like portion 35 extends' i trical equipment as may be desirable in the operation of lighting tubes of this general type.

From the foregoing. it will be seen that constructions made' in accordance with the present invention are well adapted to attain the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth, and to be economically manufactured, since the whole combination is suited to common production methodsA and is susceptibleto -a widelatitude of variations gas. may (be desirable in adapting the 'invention' to different applications.

- As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made inthe embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter'hereinbefore set forth Vor shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. .In apparatus of the character described`,.the combination with a window shade of z a source:

of artificial light adjacent to margins of the shade:V

and unobstructed with respect thereto, said shaidei being luminescently treated so as to cooperate? with said light to give a general, indirect illuminer tion.

2. In window construction, and in combination; with a window unit including a head, jams and a: sill: a shade mounted to be drawn over and to;` cover the window opening, and a source of direct; light; said head, jambs and sill being in part hollow to act as housings forand vto conceal direct; view of the source of f direct light, Vsaid source of direct light comprising fluorescently lighted?. tubing, said tubing being mounted within said housings and adjacent to and forwardly of the: margins ofthe shade, said housings being pro-- vided with` openings to admit light to shine upon. the shadey whenextending therealong, and said shade being luminescently treated to act in coop-f eration withsaid source of direct light as a source: of'indirect, general illumination.

In a window unit, the combination `withado'uble window (shade of: a tape in extensionof a `:margin thereof, said shade and tape together:

formingan endless assembly, aroller for sup-v porting said assembly, assembly tensioning rolls,` and a source of light; said tensioning rolls coop-4 erating with said roller for tensioning said as-vsembly, andone portion of the shadebeing lu-l minescently treated so as to act in cooperation: with said source of light as a source of indirect, general illumination.

4.' In a window construction, andin combina-y tion with a window unit including a head, jambs: and a sill: a double window shade and a tapelike portion together forming an endless assembly, a roller for supporting said assembly; aV tape tensioning roll, and a source of light; said tape tensioning roll 'cooperating with said roller for tensioning said assembly, one portion of the shade being luminescently treated so as to act in cooperationwith said source of light as a source of indirect, general illumination, and fsaid head,

with a portion of the shade on the other side of said roller going correspondingly upwardly, one portion of the double shade being treated with a luminescent material.

6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a window shade of: a source of articial light adjacent to margins of the shade and unobstructed with respect thereto, said shade i being luminescently treated so as to cooperate lyvof the luminescently treated portions of the shade and being hidden from direct observation.

'7. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a window shade of: a source of articial light adjacent to margins of the shade and unobstructed with respect thereto, said shade being luminescently treated so as to cooperate with said light to give a general indirect illumination, said source of light extending around porwith said light to give a general indirect illurnina-v l0 tions of each of three sides of the shade.

tion, said source of light being positioned forward- LINDSLEY SCHEPMOES. 

